RSBY: Free Cashless Health Insurance for BPL Families
What Is RSBY and Why Was It Launched?
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana — commonly referred to as RSBY — is a government-funded health insurance scheme specifically designed for families living Below the Poverty Line (BPL). It was launched on 1st April 2008 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, making it one of the pioneering attempts to bring structured, cashless health insurance to India's poorest and most vulnerable households.
The scheme was built on a straightforward truth: poor families in India — particularly those working in the unorganised sector — face catastrophic financial loss whenever a family member requires hospitalisation. With no savings, no insurance, and no government safety net at the time, a single episode of serious illness would push an already struggling BPL family further into debt. RSBY was designed to break that cycle by giving these families a biometric smart card that could be used for cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital.
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana was transferred from the Ministry of Labour and Employment to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 1st April 2015. By February 2014, RSBY had enrolled over 36 million (3.6 crore) families across India. With the launch of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in 2018, RSBY was subsumed into PM-JAY — meaning families that were previously covered under RSBY but are not in the SECC 2011 database are still included under PM-JAY automatically.
| Scheme Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana |
| Abbreviation | RSBY |
| Also Called | Swasthya Card Scheme |
| Launch Date | 1st April 2008 |
| Originally Launched By | Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India |
| Transferred To | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (from 1 April 2015) |
| Target Beneficiary | Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and unorganised sector workers |
| Gender Eligibility | Both male and female — no gender restriction |
| Age Eligibility | No minimum or maximum age limit |
| Maximum Health Cover | ₹30,000 per family per year (on floater basis) |
| Family Size Covered | Up to 5 members per family |
| Registration Fee | ₹30 per family per year (nominal, for administrative expenses) |
| Current Status | Subsumed under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (from 2018 onwards) |
Who Is Eligible for RSBY?
RSBY eligibility is determined by BPL status — the family must be officially listed in the Below Poverty Line database maintained by the State Government. The State Government is responsible for identifying and maintaining the BPL list, and the enrolled insurance companies use this list to conduct village-level enrollment drives.
There is no minimum or maximum age limit for RSBY. No gender restriction applies. Any BPL family with up to five members can be enrolled. In addition to BPL families, RSBY also covers registered members of welfare boards for unorganised sector workers.
| Eligibility Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Economic Status | Must be a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family as per the State Government BPL list |
| Sector | Unorganised sector workers and their families |
| Family Size | Up to 5 members covered per family unit |
| Family Composition | Head of household, spouse, and up to 3 dependents (children or elderly) |
| Gender | Both male and female eligible — no restriction |
| Age | No minimum or maximum age limit |
| Other Eligible Groups | Registered members of State welfare boards for unorganised sector workers |
| Caste Requirement | No caste restriction — purely BPL-based |
| Income Proof | BPL card issued by State Government is the primary proof |
A newborn baby can be added as a beneficiary to the existing RSBY card before the policy expiry date. The family has flexibility to decide which five members to enrol if the family has more than five members.
What Benefits Does RSBY Provide?
RSBY provides cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to ₹30,000 per family per year on a floater basis — meaning the total cover of ₹30,000 can be used by one or all members of the enrolled family. The scheme uses biometric-enabled smart cards (the Swasthya Card) for authentication, ensuring that only the registered beneficiary can use the card and preventing misuse.
One of the significant patient-friendly features of RSBY is that it covers pre-existing diseases from Day 1. There is no waiting period for any illness that the patient was already suffering from before enrollment.
| Benefit Component | Coverage Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual Health Cover | ₹30,000 per family per floater basis |
| Hospitalisation | Covers all hospitalisation expenses due to illness or accident |
| Nursing and Boarding | Covered during hospital stay |
| Surgeon and Anaesthetist Fees | Covered |
| Pre-hospitalisation | 1 day of diagnostic tests and medicines before hospital admission |
| Post-hospitalisation | 5 days of expenses after discharge for the same condition |
| Transportation | ₹100 per visit (for travel to hospital); maximum ₹1,000 per year |
| Dental Treatment (accidental) | Covered if caused by accident |
| Pre-existing Diseases | Covered from Day 1 — no waiting period |
| Biometric Smart Card | Issued to each enrolled family with photo and fingerprints |
| Hospital Choice | Beneficiary can choose between public or private empanelled hospitals |
| Co-payment | Zero — fully cashless at empanelled hospitals |
The Swasthya Card (RSBY card) is a biometric-enabled smart card that contains the beneficiary's photograph and fingerprints. Empanelled hospitals are connected to a district-level server through IT systems, and treatment is authenticated through biometric verification, ensuring security and accountability.
What is Not Covered Under RSBY:
| Exclusions | Detail |
|---|---|
| OPD (outpatient) treatment | RSBY covers only hospitalisation, not routine outpatient visits |
| Illness due to alcohol or drug abuse | Not covered |
| Vitamins and tonics (unless prescribed as part of treatment) | Not covered |
| Cosmetic procedures | Not covered |
| Treatment not at empanelled hospitals | Not cashless; requires separate reimbursement process |
Where Can You Apply and How Does the Process Work?
RSBY enrollment does not involve the beneficiary going to a government office or filling forms online. The process is brought directly to the village or locality through mobile enrollment stations set up by the insurance company authorised to run the scheme in that district.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Insurance company (authorised by the State Government) prepares the enrollment schedule |
| Step 2 | BPL list is posted at each village before the enrollment date |
| Step 3 | Date, time, and location of the enrollment camp is published in advance in the village |
| Step 4 | Eligible BPL family visits the enrollment station on the scheduled date |
| Step 5 | Identity of the household head is verified by the authorised official using BPL card |
| Step 6 | Biometric data (photograph and fingerprints) of all enrolled members is captured |
| Step 7 | Family pays the nominal registration fee of ₹30 |
| Step 8 | RSBY Smart Card (Swasthya Card) is printed and handed over at the enrollment station itself |
| Step 9 | The process takes approximately 10–15 minutes per family |
To use the card for treatment, the beneficiary visits any RSBY-empanelled hospital, presents the Swasthya Card, and provides biometric authentication (fingerprint). The hospital's system verifies the card against the district server and initiates cashless treatment within the ₹30,000 annual limit.
Since 2018, RSBY beneficiaries who were enrolled in the RSBY database but may not be in the SECC 2011 list are still included under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme. Families enrolled under RSBY should check their eligibility at mera.pmjay.gov.in using their Aadhaar number to confirm whether they are also covered under the broader PM-JAY umbrella with the higher ₹5 lakh annual cover.
Documents Required
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| BPL Card (issued by State Government) | Primary proof of eligibility |
| Aadhaar Card or Government-approved ID | Identity verification at the enrollment camp |
| Proof of Residence | Address verification |
| ₹30 Registration Fee | Nominal administrative fee — payable at the enrollment station |
Funding Pattern — How the Government Pays for RSBY
RSBY is largely funded by the Central and State Governments. Beneficiaries pay only the ₹30 registration fee — the full insurance premium is borne by the government.
| Funder | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Government of India (Central Government) | 75% of the insurance premium |
| State Government | 25% of the insurance premium |
| For North-East States and Jammu & Kashmir | Central Government: 90%; State Government: 10% |
| Beneficiary | ₹30 registration fee per year only |
Real Value for Patients — What This Means in Plain Language
If your family is on the BPL list — whether you are a daily wage labourer in Uttar Pradesh, a seasonal agricultural worker in Odisha, or an unorganised sector worker in Tamil Nadu — RSBY was specifically built for you. You pay ₹30 once a year. In return, every member of your five-person family can receive cashless hospitalisation for illness, surgery, or accidents at an empanelled hospital up to ₹30,000 annually.
Pre-existing conditions are not excluded. If a family member already has diabetes, heart disease, or tuberculosis at the time of enrollment, those conditions are covered from Day 1. You do not need to negotiate with the hospital for bills. You simply show your Swasthya Card, verify your fingerprint, and treatment proceeds at no cost to you.
For families who were enrolled under RSBY and are now wondering whether they have higher coverage — they very likely do. Since RSBY was subsumed under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in 2018, many former RSBY families are now entitled to ₹5 lakh annual cover instead of ₹30,000. Checking your eligibility on mera.pmjay.gov.in is the most important step RSBY families should take today.
Official Links and Support
| Resource | Link / Contact |
|---|---|
| Official RSBY Portal | rsby.gov.in |
| Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY — current scheme) | pmjay.gov.in |
| PM-JAY Eligibility Check | mera.pmjay.gov.in |
| Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | mohfw.gov.in |
| myScheme Page | myscheme.gov.in (search: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana) |
| National Helpline (PM-JAY, Toll-Free, 24x7) | 14555 |
| State-wise RSBY Status | rsby.gov.in (Scheme Status section — State Wise) |
